Risen
Risen are Humans who have been reincarnated through multiple lifetimes as various species. Risen are chosen (or "marked") prior to, at the start of, or during their first lifetime, and are subsequently reborn as both an Arkn and a Dekn. If the Risen manages to successfully navigate each lifetime, the cycle will culminate with them being reborn as a Human with the combined powers, skills, memories, and knowledge of all of their lifetimes. History It is uncertain how and why Risen are created, or how many have existed throughout history. Risen who are aware of their nature (in any lifetime) must often keep it a secret, as the Ythen see them as a threat; as such, many Arkn and Dekn believe them to be a myth. Those who do believe in Risen generally believe that they were created through the power of El'lepagi, and that those Risen who pass through all of the life stages will ascend and become Hethe themselves when they reach the end of their last lifetime.''' Known Risen Life Stages There are at least four known stages to the Risen reincarnation cycle: '''Human Stage: A Risen is first marked for rebirth during this stage. While many demonstrate remarkable character traits or skills (such as exceptional marksmanship or problem solving skills) or have done something noteworthy, others are seemingly chosen at random. When the marked human dies, they will reincarnate into their next life. First Lathrym Stage: The Risen is reborn in the Lathrym as either an Arkn or a Dekn, with the powers possessed by those respective races. At the end of this lifetime, the Risen will once again be marked for rebirth (regardless of whether they have accomplished anything noteworthy). Second Lathrym Stage: The Risen is reborn again in the Lathrym, as the opposite of what they were in the previous lifetime (be it Arkn or Dekn). Pureblood Stage: The Risen is born on one of the Seeds (or an Outlier) as a human possessing both Arkn and Dekn blood. Over time, they will acquire the raw memories, powers, skills, and abilities of all of their previous lives. While these traits can manifest at any stage of life, they often appear in childhood and grow stronger with age. It is unknown what happens to a Risen at the end of this lifetime. Notes and Trivia * Pureblood Risen glow slightly at birth as a sign of their innate power. * The powers, skills, traits, and memories a Risen acquires in each life are retained throughout the reincarnation cycle, but often do not fully come into effect until the Pureblood stage. (However, they may sometimes appear momentarily in flashes in times of emotional distress or altered consciousness.) * Purebloods often have some difficulty channeling their Arkn and Dekn powers. However, they can grow stronger with practice. * Pureblood Risen must often hide their identities. While they are regarded as a myth by many, the Ythen see Pureblood Risen as a potential threat to their power; they moderate them far more harshly than either normal Arkn or Dekn, and are very likely to permanently imprison (or even kill) Risen for the slightest infraction. * Pureblood Risen often regain their past life memories in bursts, which typically occur on a monthly basis. The Pureblood will suffer from a particularly bad headache when this occurs; these headaches can range in severity from extremely painful to debilitating, and every Risen reacts to them differently. Symptoms can include: ** Loss of consciousness. ** Odd or uncharacteristic behavior. ** Seizures. ** Blurring of memories and identities. ** Partial to full amnesia of one's current life. (Some Risen must isolate themselves during this period, due to the threat of losing control and physically acting on their memories.) Known Risen * Ancarra Juniper Azure (First Lathrym Stage) * Jessie Aeron Callahan (Pureblood) * Miriam Lillian Evans (Pureblood) * [[Ryael|'Ryael Sabarin Morrow']] (Pureblood) * Emmanuel Vonn (Pureblood) * Nathali ''(Second Lathrym Stage)'' Category:Concepts Category:Universe X Category:Humans Category:Sub-Species Category:Hybrids Category:Risen Category:Universe X Concepts Category:Humans (Universe X) Category:Sub-Species (Universe X) Category:Hybrids (Universe X)